Bertelsmann Investments (BI) is looking for a new colleague to drive key strategic projects and support BI’s executive leadership in shaping, prioritizing, and executing the most critical growth initiatives across Bertelsmann’s global investment and growth platform. Reporting to the Chief of Staff, you will work closely with BI’s executive management, incl. our CEO and CFO, while getting a birds-eye view across all our businesses. BI’s mission is clear: empowering entrepreneurs, both through our global VC fund network with several billion in assets under management just as our growth unit Bertelsmann Next, which is home to our incubation efforts and buy-and-build strategies.

Associate Strategic Projects (m/f/d)

A truly entrepreneurial role with significant ownership, operating at the center of a global, fast-paced investment platform spanning across Europe, the US, China, India, and Southeast Asia – that sounds like a match? 

Bertelsmann Investments (BI) is looking for a new colleague to drive key strategic projects and support BI’s executive leadership in shaping, prioritizing, and executing the most critical growth initiatives across Bertelsmann’s global investment and growth platform. Reporting to the Chief of Staff, you will work closely with BI’s executive management, incl. our CEO and CFO, while getting a birds-eye view across all our businesses. BI’s mission is clear: empowering entrepreneurs, both through our global VC fund network with several billion in assets under management just as our growth unit Bertelsmann Next, which is home to our incubation efforts and buy-and-build strategies.

Your tasks

• Drive some of BI’s most important strategic projects with end-to-end ownership together with our global team of VC funds and Bertelsmann Next units
• Conduct in-depth analyses and briefings on businesses, markets, and trends and review investment proposals from across the globe
• Prepare high-quality decision materials and presentations for senior leadership, including Bertelsmann’s executive and supervisory board
• Stay on top of relevant industry news and alert BI’s executive management about relevant developments and trends
• Act as thought partner to key stakeholders on strategic, operational, and organizational topics
• Proactively leverage AI tools and drive AI-based process automation
• Support the Chief of Staff in his broader role as a sparrings partner for Bertelsmann Executive Board member Carsten Coesfeld (CEO BI), which also includes activities with other businesses like Bertelsmann Education Group and Riverty

• Bachelor degree required, Masters appreciated – ideally from top university
• Relevant experience demonstrating strong ownership and entrepreneurial drive – let it be in fields like investing, consulting, start-ups, banking, corporate development, strategic planning, etc.
• Strong business acumen (understanding value drivers of businesses), analytical skills (feel for numbers) and attention to detail
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Comfortable operating in ambiguous, fast-moving environments; high degree of alertness and proactive work mentality
• Curiosity and strong interpersonal skills with a fit to our humble and down-to-earth culture
• Strong proficiency of PowerPoint and Excel; genuine excitement for/knowledge of AI tools
• Proficiency in German and English

Start date: from April/May 2026
Location: Gütersloh – Hybrid model possible, office options in Berlin & Hamburg
Contact for Questions: Jan-Henrik Sander-Wulf, Email: jan-henrik.sander-wulf@bertelsmann.de

• Work in a truly entrepreneurial, international and high-growth environment, with a high degree of freedom to act
• Gain a unique platform perspective with exposure to multiple industries (e.g., HealthTech, education, FinTech, etc.), geographies (US, Europe, China, India, SEA), and business models
• Work at the intersection of strategy, investing, and operations with hands-on learnings about the operations and investment strategies of global VC funds just as the value creation/buy-and-build approaches in our Bertelsmann Next units
• Build out a strong personal analytical toolkit and learn to prepare deliverables according to the highest professional standards
• Work with and gain exposure to senior executives at Bertelsmann and build your global network
• Enjoy attractive benefits, e.g., EGYM/Wellpass subsidy, year-end closing days, etc.

Sound like a fit? Let’s chat!  Please send your complete application documents via online-application form.

We welcome applications from people who will contribute to the diversity of our Company.

Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA | Bertelsmann Investments | Hilke Heise | Postfach 111 | 33311 Gütersloh | www.createyourowncareer.de

Responsible for data protection in your application is Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA, Carl-Bertelsmann-Straße 270, 33311 Gütersloh. Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA processes your data in order to establish an employment relationship on the basis of Art. 6 sec. 1 (b) GDPR / § 26 (1) 1 BDSG. The storage duration is 6 months starting with the completion of the recruitment process. You can contact the company privacy officer at the above postal address or via bewerbung@bertelsmann.de Further information on data protection can be found here.

Company: BI Bertelsmann Investments | Job ID: 285787